The Health Area of Lanzarote continues to develop different workshops of the Canary Islands School of Patients in Primary Care and the Doctor José Molina Orosa University Hospital, an initiative that has started with eight sessions dedicated to diabetes, caregivers of dependent people, breast cancer and advanced chronic kidney disease.
From Health they explain that these activities "are aimed at promoting self-care of patients with chronic pathologies." The Canary Islands School of Patients is an initiative of the Canary Health Service (SCS) whose objective is "to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences in the management of different diseases, especially chronic ones, among patients to improve their quality of life."
Each session has "one or more active patients", who are people who are going through or have gone through the same situation and can tell other patients in a similar situation about their experience in managing the disease." This figure is advised by health professionals and guides small groups of patients, family members and caregivers with whom they exchange experiences and to whom they advise and help on the health process.
Diabetes and caregivers in Primary Care
The diabetes workshops in Primary Care have concluded their three sessions organized under the supervision of nurse Ico Toledo. Diabetic patients and caregivers participated in this workshop, accompanied by Manuel Lozano, as an active patient, who conveyed healthy recommendations and advice on how to manage their disease to the attendees. Lozano, who is also a cooking teacher, taught the participants recipes with foods and ingredients recommended for people with diabetes.
For her part, the case management nurse María Goretti López was responsible for the workshop for caregivers of dependent people, led by Carolina Torres, who with her experience has taught the necessary skills to adequately manage people with a certain level of dependence and thus improve their quality of life.
Breast cancer and chronic kidney disease at Molina Orosa
The workshops of the School of Patients have also begun in the hospital setting. The two sessions dedicated to breast cancer were led by nurses Ariana Bermúdez and Nuria Díaz and included the intervention of Yurena Molina as an active training patient, who showed the participants techniques and skills to adequately manage the disease and achieve better levels of health.
The chronic kidney disease workshop held two training sessions and active patients such as Ainhoa and Francisco accompanied the health professional Dácil Manchado in the sessions, to instruct patients and help them better comply with the recommendations and treatment. A new session focused on this pathology will take place on June 21, in which patients undergoing dialysis treatment will also attend.
From Health they point out that this project is oriented to promote the profile of active patient, since the workshops facilitate the exchange of knowledge, promote the acquisition of skills among people who share the experience of a chronic disease with the purpose of improving their quality of life and are also a source of motivation and confidence for patients.